Stacked semiconductor device

ABSTRACT

A stacked semiconductor device is disclosed that includes a plurality of semiconductor dies. Each die has oppositely disposed first and second surfaces, with pads formed on each of the surfaces. A plurality of through-vias connect respective pads on the first surface to respective pads on the second surface. The through-vias include a first group of through-vias coupled to respective I/O circuitry on the semiconductor die and a second group of through-vias not coupled to I/O circuitry on the semiconductor die. The plurality of semiconductor dies are stacked such that the first group of through-vias in a first one of the plurality of semiconductor dies are aligned with respective ones of at least a portion of the second group of through-vias in a second one of the plurality of semiconductor dies.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/TECHNICAL FIELD

This application is a Continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 16/667,844, filedOct. 29, 2019, entitled “Stacked Semiconductor Device”, which is aContinuation of U.S. Ser. No. 15/872,840, filed Jan. 16, 2018, entitled“Stacked Semiconductor Device”, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,475,505, which is aContinuation of U.S. Ser. No. 15/175,933, filed Jun. 7, 2016, entitled“Stacked Semiconductor Device”, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,881,663, which is aContinuation of U.S. Ser. No. 14/858,888, filed Sep. 18, 2015, entitled“Stacked Semiconductor Device”, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,362,002, which is aContinuation of U.S. Ser. No. 13/502,093, filed Apr. 13, 2012, entitled“Stacked Semiconductor Device”, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,142,262, whichclaims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to International Application No.PCT/US2010/050273, published as WO 2011/049710 A2 on Apr. 28, 2011,which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/254,519,filed Oct. 23, 2009 and entitled “Stacked Semiconductor Device”.Application Ser. Nos. 14/858,888, 13/502,093, International ApplicationNo. PCT/US2010/050273 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/254,519are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The disclosureherein relates to semiconductor devices and more particularly tostacking configurations and methods for semiconductor devices.

BACKGROUND

Semiconductor packaging often involves assembling and electricallyinterconnecting groups of semiconductor devices together inspace-efficient, yet inexpensive ways. One packaging approach involvesstacking devices to reduce the horizontal footprint of the assembledsystem. Conventional stacking schemes typically rely on signalredistribution layers and/or wire-bond resources to provide electricalaccess to and from each device. Moreover, conventional stackingarrangements often overlook power efficiency concerns.

While conventional stacking methods work well for their intendedapplications, the need exists for power and cost efficient stacked diearrangements and methods. Embodiments of packaged semiconductor systemsand methods described herein satisfy these needs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the disclosure are illustrated by way of example, and notby way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and inwhich like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a three-dimensional exploded view of a packagedsemiconductor system employing stacked devices in accordance with oneembodiment of the disclosure herein;

FIG. 2 illustrates a two-dimensional partial side view of the stackeddevice system of FIG. 1 with the pad and I/O circuitry for each deviceshown as if from a top plan view;

FIG. 3 illustrates a partial cross-sectional view of two semiconductordevices showing formed vias employed in the system of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 illustrates a generalized top plan view of an alignment techniquefor offsetting the stacked semiconductor devices of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5 illustrates a three-dimensional exploded view similar to FIG. 1for an alternative embodiment;

FIG. 6 shows a two-dimensional partial side view similar to FIG. 2 forthe alternative embodiment of FIG. 5 ;

FIG. 7 illustrates the routing of a serial bus used in one embodiment ofthe stacked semiconductor system of FIG. 5 to initialize one or more ofthe stacked semiconductor devices; and

FIG. 8 shows one embodiment of a memory system employing point-to-pointand multi-drop interconnection paths.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of systems and methods are described herein where aplurality of semiconductor devices employing through-silicon-vias arestacked to allow access of at least one of the semiconductor devices byway of through-silicon-vias in at least one other of the semiconductordevices. The through-silicon-vias are designed and device-aligned toreduce input/output (I/O) loading along a given via path. By reducingI/O loading on via paths, the system enables optimal point-to-pointconnections between I/O circuitry in a base device, and I/O circuitry inone of the plurality of devices. This, in turn, improves system speedand power efficiency. In one embodiment, the through-silicon-vias ineach of the plurality of semiconductor devices are arranged in an array.Each semiconductor device has two opposing surfaces and a correspondingpad array on each of the opposing surfaces. The reduced I/O loading isachieved by staggering I/O circuits among a pad array and offsettingadjacent devices by at least one pad location. In other words, the twoadjacent devices are offset from each other by at least the distancebetween two adjacent columns of pads such that the first column of thethrough-silicon-via array in a first one of the adjacent devices arealigned with respective ones of the second column of thethrough-silicon-via array in the other one of the adjacent devices, thesecond column of the through-silicon-via array in the first one of theadjacent devices are aligned with respective ones of the third column ofthe through-silicon-via array in the other one of the adjacent devices,etc. The cooperation between the staggered I/O circuits and theoffsetting between adjacent devices minimizes the number of I/O circuitscoupled to each via path, resulting in reduced I/O loading thereof.Alternatively, the alignment is accomplished through a straight-up stackwithout offsetting. In such an embodiment, the I/O circuitry is notstaggered, but rather selectively enabled to reduce the I/O loadings.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate respective three-dimensional and two-dimensionalviews for one specific embodiment of a semiconductor die stack 100 thatfacilitates point-to-point interconnections while reducing powerdissipation and cost. A plurality of semiconductor dies 102 a-102 d areprovided for stacking. Each of the semiconductor dies 102 a-102 d hasoppositely disposed first and second surfaces 304 and 306, a pluralityof pads 308 formed on the first surface, a plurality of pads 308 formedon the second surface, and a plurality of through-vias 302 connectingrespective pads on the first surface to respective pads on the secondsurface. The pads and vias are arranged in respective arrays, such asthe array of pads 104 a-104 d on the first surfaces. The arrays of pads104 a-104 d include I/O pads 112 (in magnified callout 110), which arepads coupled to corresponding I/O circuitry on the same die, and non-I/Opads, which are pads 111 not coupled to any I/O circuits on the samedie. Accordingly, the array of through-vias in each semiconductor diewould include a first group of through-vias coupled to respective I/Ocircuitry on the same semiconductor die and a second group ofthrough-vias not coupled to I/O circuitry on the same semiconductor die.

With continued reference to FIGS. 1-3 , a processor die 108 preferablyforms the base of the stack 100, but may be remotely disposed therefromas the application dictates. The processor device 108 accesses a diehigher in the stack, such as die 102 c, by way of some of thethrough-vias in the same die and some of the through-vias in the dieslower in the stack, such as dies 102 a and 102 b, i.e., these vias formvia paths for accessing the die 102 c. The processor device 108optionally employs a via array (shown in phantom in FIG. 3 ) that may ormay not correspond to the stacked die via arrays depending on whetherthe active circuitry on the processor device is facing the stack.

Further referring to FIG. 1 , and more specifically the magnifiedcallout, each of the I/O pads 110 may take one of several forms.Generally, each pad represents the area occupied by the via structure(the via post diameter in addition to the surrounding metal pad) thatcouples to a corresponding via structure on an adjacent silicon die. Inone embodiment, each I/O pads 112 electrically couples to transmitand/or receiver circuits such as a driver/receiver pair (or transceiver)114, and possibly electro-static-discharge (ESD) circuitry (not shown)associated with the transmit and/or receive circuits, on the same die.An optional programmable mode register 116 provides a selectableenable/disable state for the driver/receiver circuitry. The capacitivecoupling of this I/O circuit type may have the ability to load a viapath with capacitance on the order of hundreds of femptofarads.

In an effort to minimize the effects of I/O pad capacitance on viapaths, and referring still to FIG. 1 , the non-I/O pads 111 areemployed. In one embodiment, the non-I/O pads are pads not having anyassociated I/O circuitry (e.g., driver/transceiver pair and ESDcircuitry). In one embodiment, illustrated more clearly in FIG. 2 , onlyone in every four pad locations (such as at 210) in a given row of pads212 (in phantom) is formed with I/O circuitry, defining a staggered I/Ocircuit pattern. This allows for point-to-point connections betweenprocessor die 208 and up to four semiconductor dies 202 a-202 d stackedabove the processor die 208. For ease of reference in the discussionthat follows, the shaded I/O pad location for an I/O pad on each stackeddevice of FIG. 2 will be referred to as “Location1”, with subsequentadjacent locations for non-I/O pads referred to in order as Locations 2through 4.

In one embodiment, the point-to-point connectivity enables sizing of theI/O transceivers on the processor device for driving/receiving signalsto/from one load (as opposed to multiple loads for a multi-dropconfiguration). The sizing may be in terms of current or voltage drivingcapability or the like. This, in turn, provides significant powersavings, especially as the number of I/Os scale upwards for a givendevice stack.

With continued reference to FIG. 2 , from an overall stack perspective,representations of end-to-end vias from a cross-sectional view are shownas vertically interconnected paths 214, 216, 218, and 220. From anindividual device perspective, the via array generally reflects thearray shape, size, and pitch exhibited by the pad array.

Referring now to FIG. 3 , each TSV 300 is formed to provide a conductivepath 302 oriented orthogonally between the active surface of the die 304and the backside surface of the die 306. A raised pad structure 308 capseach via end. Pads disposed on the active surface of the die aregenerally formed coextensive with, and may actually define the I/Ocontact pads. Thus, for a given die, depending on the regular “stagger”of the I/O circuit pattern described above, a first set or group of viaswill be coupled to I/O pads, while at least a portion of the rest (asecond group) will be coupled to non-I/O pads on that die (no activecircuitry). Note that the base die 310 in a given stack may optionallyemploy the via array 314 (in phantom) since its active circuitry lies onthe top surface, at 312. In one embodiment, the plurality ofsemiconductor dies are stacked such that the first group of through-viasin a first one of the plurality of semiconductor dies (e.g., die 102 a)are aligned with respective ones of at least a portion of the secondgroup of through-vias in a second one of the plurality of semiconductordies (i.e., die 102 b).

Preferably, the semiconductor dies are identical in terms of structuralform, but may differ somewhat in performance. Employing identicaldevices in the stack simplifies die stacking, alignment, and reduces thecost per unit through the benefits of volume manufacturing.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2 , in one embodiment, the plurality ofsemiconductor dies are substantially identical and are offset from eachother to achieve alignment of the first group of through-vias in a firstone of the plurality of semiconductor dies with respective ones of atleast a portion of the second group of through-vias in a second one ofthe plurality of semiconductor dies. For example, the stackedsemiconductor dies can be aligned in such a way that the TSV arrays ofadjacent dies are offset by at least one pad location. The die offsetscreate a “stairstep” arrangement for the stack, beginning at one edge ofthe pad array, and progressing by at least one pad location for eachsubsequently stacked device. The offsets allow the vias to electricallycooperate with the I/O circuit pattern formations on each die(preferably structurally identical). This is done such that each viapath 214, 216, 218, and 220 (connected at one end to processor die I/Ocircuits 222, 224, 226, and 228) couples to only one I/O circuit(“location 1”) in only one of the stacked dies.

With continued reference to FIG. 2 , the couplings from the base die I/Ocircuits 222, 224, 226, and 228 to each stacked die “Location1” areillustrated at 210 a, 210 b, 210 c, and 210 d. For the specific instancewhere four dies are to be stacked, and one of every four pad locations(in a row of pads) for each die include I/O circuitry, a single padoffset in a staircase manner results in an alignment where groups ofvias not coupled to I/O circuits on their own respective die (padlocations 2, 3, and 4 for each set of four I/O locations) makeelectrical contact to I/O circuitry in different devices. Conversely,the alignment enables vias coupled to the I/O circuitry for pad Location1 (for the lower-most stacked device 202 a) to interface with groups ofvias not coupled to I/O circuitry (pad locations 4, 3 and 2 of stackeddevices 202 b, 202 c and 202 d, respectively). In this specific manner,each via path forms a true point-to-point connection between theprocessor I/O circuit and one I/O circuit formed in one of the stackedsemiconductor devices.

In some instances, there may be a desire to add capacity and stackadditional die over and above the originally designed stack. Eachadditional die will preferably be formed with the appropriate TSV array,but may lack the staggered I/O pad array described above to cooperateproperly with the TSV aligned offset scheme. Instead, each I/O locationon the additional device may employ conventional pad I/O circuitry,including a programmable register to enable the driver/receivercircuitry. For enabled I/O circuitry, the result on the correspondingelectrically coupled end-to-end via path will be a multi-drop situation.For non-enabled I/O circuits on the additional device, a capacitiveloading will exist on the corresponding via (even though the activecircuitry is “off”). While the added device presents a slight overallcapacitive load to each via, the overall power benefit achieved by theoriginal stack more than makes up for the loading.

In some applications, both point-to-point and multi-drop paths may needto be realized in the stacked die. Multi-drop paths are often employedin memory systems to transfer common signals such as address, commandand control signals from a memory controller to memory dies. This may bedone in a variety of different ways. For example, a group of adjacentI/O circuits on the processor (for example, pad locations 1-4 of theprocessor die) may be tied or grouped together electrically to form asuper-pad such that a commonly transmitted signal is transferred to thesame I/O circuit location on all of the stacked die. Another approachinvolves populating a stretch of via sites with I/O circuitry similar toFIG. 6 , although modified such that four I/O sites are coupled from theprocessor 604 to sixteen I/O sites in semiconductor devices 602 a-602 d.Generally, the approach unscrambles the four received signals (alongeach row of four I/O sites) from the processor in each of the foursemiconductor devices 602 a-602 d by rotating the four bits by 0, 1, 2,or 3 bit positions, depending on the device location in the stack.

Manufacturing the stacked semiconductor devices in accordance with theembodiment described above involves relatively straightforwardfabrication methods including staggering the I/O pad pattern (with theI/O circuitry), fabricating the TSV array, and aligning the devices in astacked relationship.

Formation of the I/O circuitry and pad array for each device may beaccomplished during wafer fabrication, involving generally understoodprinciples of integrated circuit device processing. Of interest is thenotion that for each device, pad locations are preferably reserved forI/O circuitry, even if omitted. This runs counter to the trend ofelectrically utilizing every possible piece of silicon real estate.However, this cost is more than offset by the advantages in powersavings that result. By designing the device such that the overall chiplayout is identical among devices, fabrication costs due tostacked-die-specific applications may be spread out or amortized due tovolume manufacturing.

Fabricating the TSV array for each device may occur at the wafer(device) level, or stacked die level. Referring again to FIG. 3 , thetwo stacked die 310 and 311 are illustrated that each exhibit a pair ofTSVs 300. Openings 301 to initially define the via shapes may be formedat the device level through a plasma or chemical etching or mechanicaldrilling process. At the stacked level, the via arrays may beefficiently formed by a suitable drilling method where openings areformed through all of the stacked devices in a single drilling step.Following formation of the via openings, a suitable conductor such asaluminum is deposited therein to form an electrically conductive path302. Each end of the via is capped off with a raised pad contact 308suitable for engaging a confronting pad contact, such as that at 309from an adjacent stacked die. Pads formed at the active surface 304 ofthe die 311 electrically couple to the pad I/O locations. If I/Ocircuitry for a given pad was masked during I/O fabrication, then thevia will not be coupled to I/O circuitry.

Following formation of the TSV array for each die, singulated die arealigned to each other in a stacked relationship such that the TSV arraysfor adjacent devices (corresponding to the pad arrays) are offset by atleast one pad location. This is accomplished during assembly throughwell-known registration techniques, such as that shown in FIG. 4 ,wherein each die 400 a-400 d includes a pair of identically locatedregistration reticles 402 and 404. The reticles in-turn are aligned witha pair of die pads (not shown). By aligning the leftmost reticle 402 ofone die to the rightmost reticle 404 of an adjacent die (note that thedies are generally thinned and transparent during processing to allowvisual alignment), a die-to-die offset of one pad may bestraightforwardly achieved.

As each die is stacked in offset relationship to the die beneath it,pads from the lower surface of the upper device engage aligned padsdisposed on the upper surface of the lower device. Once the stack iscompletely assembled, electrically conductive paths will extendorthogonally from the lowest device (typically a processor chip) upthrough the entire stack of identically formed dies.

In operation, the via signal paths define channels that are susceptibleto various loading effects. Specifically, capacitance associated witheach via affects current usage and related power efficiency parameters.However, by employing point-to-point signaling paths with the via andI/O circuit arrangement described above, each end-to-end via pathelectrically couples to (preferably) one I/O circuit. With each I/Ocircuit having the potential to load a via by a few hundredfemptofarads, eliminating capacitance associated with three out of everyfour potential pad locations significantly improves power efficiency.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an alternative embodiment of a low power andlow cost stacked die solution that avoids offsetting adjacent die. Likethe previous embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 , a plurality ofsemiconductor dies 502 a-502 d are provided and stacked. Each dieincludes a formed TSV array 504 that corresponds to a pad array formedon each of the opposing die surfaces, with each via orientedorthogonally to the planar die surfaces and extending from one surfaceto the other.

Unlike the previously described embodiment, I/O circuitry 508 may beformed at each pad location 510 (phantom), but with circuitry 512 thatenables selective coupling to a given via or pad. In one embodiment, aprogrammable fuse or anti-fuse may be employed to electrically decouplethe I/O circuitry from the I/O pad. In so doing, the capacitive loadingthat would normally take place with a coupled I/O circuit (even whendisabled) is avoided.

Thus, for each semiconductor device, a group of vias in a givensemiconductor device will electrically couple to I/O circuitry on thatdevice, while at least a portion of the remaining vias will beelectrically decoupled from I/O circuits disposed adjacent theirrespective via pads.

FIG. 6 illustrates the assembled alignment of stacked semiconductor dies602 a-602 d with respect to a base semiconductor die 604. While each I/Opad location includes I/O circuitry, for the first stacked device 602 a,respective fuses have decoupled the I/O circuitry at Locations 2, 3 and4 from the respective I/O pads (represented by “open” connectionsbetween each pad and I/O circuitry, such as at 606). Similar de-fusingsare carried out with the remaining stacked dies.

Referring back to FIGS. 5 and 6 , employing programmable fuses enables adevice manufacturer to avoid masking out selected I/O locations,although at a cost of creating the fuses. With all of the I/O padlocations exhibiting identical circuitry, effecting point-to-point pathswith the stacked die merely involves programming the fusesappropriately, such that a single via path coupling multiple devicescouples to less than all of the I/O circuits adjacent that via path. Thenet result of using fuses allows the die stack to take on a truevertically aligned structure, with no offsets or process steps toprecisely align offsets.

One additional process step in assembling the stack in accordance withthe fuse embodiment described above involves initializing the fuses toarrive at the desired coupled/decoupled structures. FIG. 7 generallyillustrates how a serial bus 700 may be used in a daisy-chained mannerto initialize selected fuses 702 on each die 704. Other ways toaccomplish this include providing horizontal offset paths betweenadjacent devices to direct enable signals to the separate devices;enabling each device to measure a resistance of a given via path so thatit can determine where it lies in the stack; or providing wirebondconnections to drive device selection inputs.

In the embodiments described above, an emphasis on limiting the via topad I/O electrical coupling to one circuit was applied. In practice, aslong as at least one I/O circuit is decoupled from the via path, or lessthan all of the I/O circuits are coupled to the via path, power savingsmay be realized. Moreover, although point-to-point paths for the viaconnections were emphasized above, multi-drop connections that stillprovide power and cost savings may be beneficial.

The stacked die structures described above are particularly well-suitedfor low-cost master-slave applications such as memory systems, where amaster processing device, such as a memory controller, interfaces with aplurality of slave devices, such as memory devices. FIG. 8 illustratesone general topology for interconnecting master and slave dies in amemory system 800. The system employs an integrated circuit (IC) memorycontroller 802 that interfaces with a plurality of IC memory devices 804a-804 d via point-to-point data buses 806 and a multi-dropaddress/control bus 808. The point-to-point paths generally interconnectdata I/O circuitry on the controller with corresponding data I/Ocircuitry on each memory device. The multi-drop address/control busroutes address and control signals from the memory controller to all ofthe devices.

With continued reference to FIG. 8 , the memory devices 804 a-804 dgenerally load the multi-drop bus in aggregate, while loading eachpoint-to-point path individually. Preferably, dynamic random accessmemory (DRAM) devices are employed in the die stack with a correspondingDRAM controller. Non-volatile memory devices are also well suited tobenefit from the unique die stacking arrangements disclosed herein. Inaddition to the system topology shown in FIG. 8 , various othertopologies are suitable for the embodiments described herein, such aswhere all of the interconnections comprise either point-to-point paths,or multi-drop paths.

It should be noted that the various circuits disclosed herein may bedescribed using computer aided design tools and expressed (orrepresented), as data and/or instructions embodied in variouscomputer-readable media, in terms of their behavioral, registertransfer, logic component, transistor, layout geometries, and/or othercharacteristics. Formats of files and other objects in which suchcircuit expressions may be implemented include, but are not limited to,formats supporting behavioral languages such as C, Verilog, and VHDL,formats supporting register level description languages like RTL, andformats supporting geometry description languages such as GDSII, GDSIII,GDSIV, CIF, MEBES and any other suitable formats and languages.Computer-readable media in which such formatted data and/or instructionsmay be embodied include, but are not limited to, non-volatile storagemedia in various forms (e.g., optical, magnetic or semiconductor storagemedia) and carrier waves that may be used to transfer such formatteddata and/or instructions through wireless, optical, or wired signalingmedia or any combination thereof. Examples of transfers of suchformatted data and/or instructions by carrier waves include, but are notlimited to, transfers (uploads, downloads, e-mail, etc.) over theInternet and/or other computer networks via one or more data transferprotocols (e.g., HTTP, FTP, SMTP, etc.).

When received within a computer system via one or more computer-readablemedia, such data and/or instruction-based expressions of the abovedescribed circuits may be processed by a processing entity (e.g., one ormore processors) within the computer system in conjunction withexecution of one or more other computer programs including, withoutlimitation, net-list generation programs, place and route programs andthe like, to generate a representation or image of a physicalmanifestation of such circuits. Such representation or image maythereafter be used in device fabrication, for example, by enablinggeneration of one or more masks that are used to form various componentsof the circuits in a device fabrication process.

In the foregoing description and in the accompanying drawings, specificterminology and drawing symbols have been set forth to provide athorough understanding of the present invention. In some instances, theterminology and symbols may imply specific details that are not requiredto practice the invention. For example, any of the specific numbers ofbits, signal path widths, signaling or operating frequencies, componentcircuits or devices and the like may be different from those describedabove in alternative embodiments. Also, the interconnection betweencircuit elements or circuit blocks shown or described as multi-conductorsignal links may alternatively be single-conductor signal links, andsingle conductor signal links may alternatively be multi-conductorsignal links. Signals and signaling paths shown or described as beingsingle-ended may also be differential, and vice-versa. Similarly,signals described or depicted as having active-high or active-low logiclevels may have opposite logic levels in alternative embodiments.Component circuitry within integrated circuit devices may be implementedusing metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) technology, bipolar technology orany other technology in which logical and analog circuits may beimplemented. With respect to terminology, a signal is said to be“asserted” when the signal is driven to a low or high logic state (orcharged to a high logic state or discharged to a low logic state) toindicate a particular condition. Conversely, a signal is said to be“deasserted” to indicate that the signal is driven (or charged ordischarged) to a state other than the asserted state (including a highor low logic state, or the floating state that may occur when the signaldriving circuit is transitioned to a high impedance condition, such asan open drain or open collector condition). A signal driving circuit issaid to “output” a signal to a signal receiving circuit when the signaldriving circuit asserts (or deasserts, if explicitly stated or indicatedby context) the signal on a signal line coupled between the signaldriving and signal receiving circuits. A signal line is said to be“activated” when a signal is asserted on the signal line, and“deactivated” when the signal is deasserted. Additionally, the prefixsymbol “/” attached to signal names indicates that the signal is anactive low signal (i.e., the asserted state is a logic low state). Aline over a signal name (e.g., ‘<signal name>’) is also used to indicatean active low signal. The term “coupled” is used herein to express adirect connection as well as a connection through one or moreintervening circuits or structures. Integrated circuit device“programming” may include, for example and without limitation, loading acontrol value into a register or other storage circuit within the devicein response to a host instruction and thus controlling an operationalaspect of the device, establishing a device configuration or controllingan operational aspect of the device through a one-time programmingoperation (e.g., blowing fuses within a configuration circuit duringdevice production), and/or connecting one or more selected pins or othercontact structures of the device to reference voltage lines (alsoreferred to as strapping) to establish a particular device configurationor operation aspect of the device. The term “exemplary” is used toexpress an example, not a preference or requirement.

While the invention has been described with reference to specificembodiments thereof, it will be evident that various modifications andchanges may be made thereto without departing from the broader spiritand scope of the invention. For example, features or aspects of any ofthe embodiments may be applied, at least where practicable, incombination with any other of the embodiments or in place of counterpartfeatures or aspects thereof. Accordingly, the specification and drawingsare to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

I claim:
 1. An integrated circuit (IC) package, comprising: a set ofsignal input/output (I/O) circuits formed in a corresponding set of ICdice, the set of IC dice stacked vertically such that the set of signalI/O circuits are disposed in a vertical relationship with respect to oneanother; a conductive path interconnected to each die of the set of ICdice; and programmable circuitry to independently selectivelyelectrically connect each of the signal I/O circuits to the conductivepath.
 2. The IC package according to claim 1, wherein: the programmablecircuitry is configured to electrically connect less than all of thesignal I/O circuits to the conductive path.
 3. The IC package accordingto claim 2, wherein: the conductive path forms a multi-drop path betweenthe less than all of the set of signal I/O circuits and an additional ICdie.
 4. The IC package according to claim 2, wherein: the conductivepath is electrically connected to solely one of the signal I/O circuitsby the programmable circuitry to form a point-to-point signaling pathbetween the solely one of the signal I/O circuits and an additional ICdie.
 5. The IC package according to claim 1, wherein: the conductivepath comprises a data path for transferring data to and from the signalI/O circuits that are independently selectively connected to theconductive path via the programmable circuitry.
 6. The IC packageaccording to claim 5, wherein the programmable circuitry comprises:programmable fuse circuitry.
 7. The IC package according to claim 5,wherein the programmable circuitry comprises: programmable registercircuitry.
 8. A memory device, comprising: a set of signal input/output(I/O) circuits formed in a corresponding set of integrated circuit (IC)memory dice, the set of IC memory dice stacked vertically such that theset of signal I/O circuits are disposed in a vertical relationship withrespect to one another; a conductive path interconnected to each die ofthe set of IC memory dice; and programmable circuitry to independentlyselectively electrically connect each of the signal I/O circuits to theconductive path.
 9. The memory device according to claim 8, wherein: theprogrammable circuitry is configured to electrically connect less thanall of the signal I/O circuits to the conductive path.
 10. The memorydevice of claim 9, wherein: the conductive path forms a multi-drop pathbetween the less than all of the set of signal I/O circuits and anadditional IC die.
 11. The memory device of claim 9, wherein: theconductive path is electrically connected to solely one of the signalI/O circuits by the programmable circuitry to form a point-to-pointsignaling path between the solely one of the signal I/O circuits and anadditional IC die.
 12. The memory device of claim 8, wherein: theconductive path comprises a data path for transferring data to and fromthe signal I/O circuits that are independently selectively connected tothe conductive path via the programmable circuitry.
 13. The memorydevice of claim 8, wherein the programmable circuit comprises:programmable fuse circuitry.
 14. The memory device of claim 8, whereinthe programmable circuit comprises: programmable register circuitry. 15.A packaged semiconductor memory, comprising: a set of signalinput/output (I/O) circuits formed in a corresponding set of integratedcircuit (IC) memory dice, the set of IC memory dice stacked verticallysuch that the set of signal I/O circuits are disposed in a verticalrelationship with respect to one another; an integrated circuit (IC)memory controller die; a conductive path interconnecting the IC memorydice to one another and to the IC memory controller die; andprogrammable circuitry to independently selectively electrically connecteach of the signal I/O circuits to the conductive path.
 16. The packagedsemiconductor memory of claim 15, wherein: the programmable circuitry isconfigured to electrically connect less than all of the signal I/Ocircuits to the conductive path.
 17. The packaged semiconductor memoryof claim 16, wherein: the conductive path forms a multi-drop pathbetween the less than all of the set of signal I/O circuits and the ICmemory controller die.
 18. The packaged semiconductor memory of claim16, wherein: the conductive path is electrically connected to solely oneof the signal I/O circuits by the programmable circuitry to form apoint-to-point signaling path between the solely one of the signal I/Ocircuits and the IC memory controller die.
 19. The packagedsemiconductor memory of claim 15, wherein: the conductive path comprisesa data path for transferring data to and from the signal I/O circuitsthat are independently selectively connected to the conductive path viathe programmable circuitry.
 20. The packaged semiconductor memory ofclaim 19, wherein the programmable circuit comprises one from the groupcomprised of: programmable fuse circuitry, anti-fuse circuitry, andprogrammable register circuitry.